Andrik Greyjoy
Andrik Greyjoy is a formerly self imposed exile of House Greyjoy and the captain of the Great Kraken. He has raided and reaved his way across Essos for four decades, returning infrequently to the Iron Isles. Appearance Andrik Greyjoy is aged, fifty six years old with innumerable scars from a lifetime of fighting and reaving. His skin is sun tanned and rough like dried leather, the result of decades being whipped by cruel seas and toiling under the beating ocean sun. Andrik has near superhuman size, standing at just over seven feet tall. In addition he possesses titanic strength. His thick arms are packed with coiled muscles, with broad powerful shoulders, and a heavy frame with a barrel chest. Andrik once had dark black hair, a common trait among Greyjoys. However the march of time has now marred it with deep streaks of grey. He keeps his hair worn short, so it may be comfortable under his helmet, but wears his beard long and thick, tied in many tassels at its length. His huge hands are thick and callused, with his fingers heavily scarred from many a brave Finger Dance. Andrik has hard blue eyes and a square jawline. In his youth he had a rugged handsomeness, but much of that has faded with age and old wounds. In battle Andrik fights with a huge two sided battleaxe he wields in just one hand. The weapon is Qohorik steel and paid for with gold from many a reaving. Too large for normal men to even scarcely lift, Andrik swings it as easily as most can a common boarding axe. His other arm free to hold a great round shield of strong wood covered with thick steel, painted coal black and proudly displaying the Gold Kraken of his house. In addition to this, Andrik Greyjoy wears a massive suit of heavy steel plate. Painted black and enameled in golden colored trimmings, its two pauldrons shaped as Krakens, and the gold kraken sits emblazoned on his chestpiece. Lastly, he bares a Kraken helm much like his great-uncle Victarion, its two main tentacles curved forward like grim horns. The armor is completed with a black longcloak bearing the Greyjoy colors and sigil, one of the few remaining relics Andrik keeps from his youth on the Iron Isles. History Andrik Greyjoy was the lastborn son of Lady Paramount Asha Greyjoy and her Lord Husband Gran Goodbrother. Born in the year 315AC, many believed his mother too old to bare another healthy child. But, the Drowned God smiled upon her, as it did many Greyjoys when it came to sowing their seed. Andrik was born healthy and strong, far heavier than any of his siblings at birth. He grew at an alarming rate, proving himself blessed as both Strong, and in time, Towering. Andrik was chiefly raised by his Great-Uncle Aerion “Damphair” Greyjoy, his father far too busy with his elder children and his Lady Mother too preoccupied with helping to keep the Ironborn realm together. Damphair Greyjoy taught Andrik from a young age how the Drowned God saw fit to bless him with his powerful physique, and how he could best apply it as a reaver and a true Ironborn. He honed his skills with an axe, learned their ancestral art of sailing from captains and reavers, and excelled in martial pursuits. But all was not well with Andrik. It was quickly discovered by his father that the boy had a sickness of the mind. The maesters of the North were familiar with it, a scrambling of letters in his brain, leaving him unable to read. Despite his mother and all his tutors’ best efforts, attempts to read and write ended only in frustration and anger. And few wanted to anger the giant of Pyke. Andrik was left illiterate, and has a disdain for books and sums for it. This left Andrik unable to perform many of the necessary duties of a lord, making him largely unable to assist his house in ruling the Iron Isles. Andrik was left without a role in the Greyjoy court, without purpose with reaving heavily restricted by the King in the North, and soon, without reason to stay. Damphair died of age and illness when Andrik was barely a man grown, dying from a chronic cough and a high fever early into his sixtieth year. Without a place or purpose and his father-figure returned to the Drowned God’s watery halls, Andrik decided there was nothing for him left. He slowly gathered a crew of like-minded Ironborn who felt betrayed but the steep changes within the Isles since their submission to the North, but were unwilling to bring violence upon their people, and they left. Andrik Greyjoy and his crew boarded the once-flagship of his grandfather Balon Greyjoy, the mighty vessel known as Great Kraken, and departed for lands beyond Ironman’s Bay. Since then he has raided across the Summer Isles, the Narrow Sea, and as far east as Slaver’s Bay and as far north as Pentos. The Great Kraken and her crew have served as pirates, sellsails, privateers, and every task in between. Every decade or so Andrik would return to his home, bringing with him spoils of the east to gift to his house and replenish his crew. More importantly, he came to speak with the man who sat the Seastone Chair, to see if the Iron Isles had once again become a place for his kind. And every time he has left disappointed and with heavy heart. Now Andrik is an old man, six and fifty though still mightier than men half his age. Few reavers live as long, and he owes it to his abnormal stature and tremendous experience. His natural piousness for the Drowned God has been tempered by many foreign cultures and religions, creating in Andrik a flare for mysticism as he is a firm believer in magic, superstition, and the occult. For near four decades he has sailed his way across the many seas seeing exotic lands and unfamiliar peoples. But he now realizes life is short, and no bond is stronger than kinship. He has found no true home for him across the Narrow Seas, and decided to return to his home isles for one last time. To serve his house as best he can, hopefully bringing with him some of the Old Ways. Recent Events Andrik Greyjoy grows tired of Essos and longs to return to Pyke one last time to live among his house and kinsmen. He and his crew depart from Tyrosh, stopping in Dorne for supplies along the way. While traveling the coast of Dorne, Andrik Greyjoy's ship chances upon three vessels, which are in truth two vessels pursuing the Family's Fury. The Ironborn take to the offensive, and the brief Battle Off the Dornish Coast is fought. In the aftermath the two vessels' crews enjoy a brief respite in Planky Town, ultimately ending in the two captains becoming fast friends. Andrik makes the decision to release his Lysene bed slave Serenei from his service, allowing her to travel with Captain Rogare after he witnessed the obvious attraction between the two. He promised Rogare to swear a vow to wed Serenei and treat her well, and Andrik himself swore to hunt him through hell and back should he fail. The crew of the Great Kraken then once more departed for Pyke, Andrik Greyjoy now stripped of one of his few remaining personal ties. Timeline *314: Andrik is lastborn child & son of Lady Paramount Asha Greyjoy & Gran Goodbrother. *320: After much frustration in his son's schooling, Gran begins looking to northern Maesters for help. *321: Andrik Greyjoy is diagnosed with a sickness of the mind and his education shifts to other fields. *328: Andrik is drowned for his first time by his great-uncle Aerion "Damphair" Greyjoy. *330: Damphair dies of a chronic fever & terrible cough. Andrik becomes disillusioned with the Iron Isles. *331: After a year of gathering support and followers, Andrik and his crew depart for the Narrow Seas. *342: Asha Greyjoy dies of old age & illness. Her eldest son Vickon ascends to the Seastone Chair. *342: Andrik returns to Pyke to pay his respects to his departed mother. He would soon return to Essos. *353: After a decade at sea Andrik returns to give tribute to his brother and serve at his side. *354: The Crisis of the Nettle's Bounty occurs, Andrik admires the rebel's cause but sides with his brother. *354: Vickon Greyjoy denies Andrik's request to let him hunt down the rebel Lord Reapers. *354: Outraged by his brother's decision, Andrik departs from Pyke again, vowing to take no further part. *360: Andrik returns to Pyke for the third time, and learns of his brother's death and nephew's ascension. *360: After seeing his nephew as little more than a Greenlander boy, Andrik leaves for the fourth time. *364: Claims Serenei of Lys after capturing a Lysene slave trader heading from Lys to Tyrosh. *370: Having finally tired of Essos, and homesick for Pyke, Andrik vows to return for the final time. Crewmembers Dagmar "The Drunkard" Pyke: A bastard hailing from House Blacktyde, Dagmar is among the few remaining of Andrik's original crew. He is a talented navigator and a font of knowledge, more so when he is sober. Dagmar has a long woolly beard of brown hair streaked with grey, a large potbelly, and a hearty laugh. Age: 55. Gift: Leadership. Skills: Mauls, Sailing, Logistics, Navigator, Drinkmaster. Negatives: Old Age. Marcus Volmark: A man from a lesser branch of House Volmark, born to a salt wive and placed last to inherit for it. Quick with a sword and quicker with his words. Marcus is the ships' quartermaster, and handles the acquisition and maintenance of supplies and arms. He is tall, with a hard jawline and harder black eyes. Age: 42. Gift: Administration. Skills: Swords, Sailing, Artisan: Blacksmith & Armorer. Cargon Crabsmane: Drowned Priest of the Great Kraken, equal parts madman and philosopher. Fond of bludgeoning the ship’s rats with his cudgel and advocates drowning captives. He is actually the oldest member of the crew, at several years Andrik's senior. His long tangled beard has gone white with age and he wears blue green robes. Age: 61. Gift: Zealot. Skills: Blunt Weapons, Sailing, Mystic, Torturing, Alchemy. Horus Codd: Ship Master-at-arms, a hard man and a heavy gambler, effectively indebted to Andrik over the years as his losses mounted. Trains the fresh meat picked up in ports. Claims his father fought alongside Victarion Greyjoy. Codd is the second largest man on board, with green eyes and sand brown hair. Age: 46. Gift: Strong. Skills: Axes, Sailing, Shields, Smuggler. Harras Harlaw: The closest thing Andrik has to a Spymaster. Named after the Knight of Grey Garden, however the resemblance ends there. More booksmart than sword skilled, he is the most learned man on board, and serves as cartographer and scribe. Andrik dislikes his smug attitude but has great need of his services. Age: 38. Gift: Agent. Skills: Sailing, Covert, Espionage, Scribe. Category:House Greyjoy Category:Ironborn Category:Westerosi